The group followed the road and soon arrived at their destination, Shemei Village.
People were coming and going in the village, but it was somewhat quiet. Upon careful observation, one could see that although most of the people looked very busy, they were merely doing repetitive tasks.
It seemed as if they had long known about the arrival of Yu Xiaogang and his group, for an old man with a gray beard approached them.
"Who are you?"
"We are just passing through and wanted to see if there is any place to eat here."
Yu Xiaogang said.
"Eating, eh? That's perfect. The food at my place should be ready. If you don't mind, you can have some."
"By the way, I am the village chief of this Shemei Village. You can just call me Old Martin."
Old Martin, with a kindly face, prepared to take the group to his home to eat.
Yu Xiaogang and the others looked at Gui Mei. Seeing Gui Mei nod with a grave expression, the group fell silent for a moment.
Expecting it was one thing, but seeing it with their own eyes was another. A village with over a hundred people had been silently slaughtered just like that.
Furthermore, after being killed, their corpses were being utilized to help the perpetrator harm even more people.
At this moment, Bibi Dong and Yu Xiaogang realized with profound clarity why Spirit Hall had always been fixated on pursuing Fallen Spirit Masters.
Fallen Spirit Masters were simply too inhumane. If they were not curbed and allowed to multiply, the entire Douluo Continent would never have peaceful days again.
Seeing Old Martin turn his head and give them a puzzled look, Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath.
"Let's follow him and wait and see. If possible, it is best to determine if it's a single individual or a group before we make a move."
After saying this, Yu Xiaogang followed Old Martin first, and the others thought for a moment before following as well.
Thus, very quickly, the group arrived at Old Martin's home.
At this moment, people in Old Martin's home were busy cooking, and the aroma of food wafted through the air.
However, upon smelling the aroma of these dishes, Yu Xiaogang, Yue Guan, and Gui Mei all frowned simultaneously.
Because in the wafting aroma, they faintly smelled the scent of medicinal herbs.
Yue Guan went without saying; he himself had deep research into things like medicinal herbs, so the scent of these herbs could not deceive him.
As for Yu Xiaogang, because his Spirit had evolved multiple times, his five senses were exceptionally keen, and because he had previously studied knowledge about medicinal herbs, he could also smell the scent.
As for Gui Mei, frequently staying with Yue Guan, he had also self-taught himself much knowledge about medicinal herbs, making it quite simple to discern the situation at this moment.
The only one who knew nothing, Bibi Dong, upon seeing the furrowed brows of Yu Xiaogang and the other two, also realized that something was likely wrong.
"Guests, please sit down. The food will be ready soon."
Old Martin enthusiastically led the group to the dining room. Honestly speaking, if they didn't know the situation here, they would have truly thought this was just a hospitable village chief.
Sitting down at the dining table, Old Martin began to chat idly.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei were older, and thus were the primary objects of his conversation.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei themselves had decent social skills, and with their extraordinary experience, they wouldn't fail to keep the conversation going.
Just like that, everyone chatted back and forth. Soon, the dishes were served, and Old Martin invited everyone to eat.
Yue Guan and Yu Xiaogang observed the state of the food. Yue Guan even proactively tasted a few dishes. After confirming there were no issues, he signaled the others.
Thus, Yu Xiaogang and the others began to eat and drink normally.
Just as everyone was wondering what the other party was going to do, a figure walked out from the kitchen.
"The chicken soup is here~"
As the voice sounded, a large basin of chicken soup appeared on the dining table, and that scent of medicinal herbs was coming from this chicken soup.
"Everyone, quickly try my homemade chicken soup. This is my wife's signature dish."
Old Martin, with a smile on his face, served a bowl of chicken soup to each person in succession.
Yue Guan tasted it first.
"Mmm~, truly delicious. It is worthy of being the proudest dish in your home, Village Chief. In all my years traveling north and south, this is the first time I have tasted such delicious chicken soup."
Yue Guan's praise made the smile on Old Martin's face even brighter. His gaze shifted from Yue Guan to Yu Xiaogang and the others.
"The three of you, why aren't you drinking? Drink up, it won't taste good if it gets cold."
After Old Martin's words fell, Yue Guan also spoke with a smile.
"Yes, try it quickly. This is a rare delicacy."
While speaking, Yue Guan gave a signal to the others, especially Bibi Dong, who received special attention from Yue Guan.
Thus, everyone drank the chicken soup with tacit understanding, but in corners where Old Martin's family couldn't see, they each employed their own methods.
Like Yu Xiaogang, the moment the chicken soup entered his mouth, the light element wrapped around the soup, and then he hid it inside his mouth.
Gui Mei and Yue Guan used a similar method, only they used their Soul Power.
The simplest one was Bibi Dong, after all, her Spirit, the Death Spider Emperor, was a master of poison; decomposing a little spiked chicken soup was as easy as could be.
Watching as the four of them, Yu Xiaogang and the others, each finished a bowl of chicken soup, the smile on Old Martin's face took on a hint of distortion.
"Hahaha, if you like it, you can have some more."
As he spoke, he got up and served everyone another bowl of chicken soup.
But the four of them, Yu Xiaogang and the others, only focused on eating the dishes and did not drink the chicken soup again.
Regarding this, Old Martin did not urge everyone to drink the soup again.
After all, everyone had already finished a big bowl; drinking more wouldn't make a difference.
Soon, sensing that it was time to perform, Yue Guan appropriately displayed signs of dizziness.
Holding his head, swaying, he soon collapsed onto the table with a bang.
"Yue Guan!"
"Uncle Yue?!"
"Uncle Yue Guan!"
Seeing Yue Guan collapse, the three of them, Yu Xiaogang and the others, stood up in "shock and anger," but soon, all three of them also began to sway.
Seeing the state of the three, Old Martin finally stopped acting, revealing a twisted and evil expression.
"Hahaha, it's too late. Having drunk my delicious chicken soup and eaten a table full of my good dishes, you can just use your own lives to pay for this meal!"
Under Old Martin's rampant laughter, the three of them, Yu Xiaogang and the others, also fell onto the table just like Yue Guan.
"Hahaha, this kind of food delivered to our doorstep is rare. And looking at them, they are either rich or noble, and might even be Spirit Masters."
"Tsk tsk tsk, for this kind of snack delivered to my door, I must prepare it properly!"
Following a burst of gloomy laughter, the four of them, Yu Xiaogang and the others, were loaded onto a carriage by Old Martin's family, and the group swayed toward a certain place in the village.
When they arrived in front of a certain house, Old Martin's family opened the door, triggered the switch for a secret door, and revealed a passageway leading directly underground.
Very quickly, the group was moved underground.
The stench of rot and decay permeated the place. A middle-aged man in a black robe walked out from the darkness, looking at the four of them, Yu Xiaogang and the others, with burning eyes.
"Ah, the delicious aura of Life. After absorbing their souls, my strength will be able to advance further."
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